Smoking
Cigar party planner
Buy about one cigar per smoker for every 90 minutes of a relaxed evening, then add 20% spare. Set your guest list and the planner sizes the cigars, cutters, lighters and ashtrays.
2 per smoker for 5 smokers is 10, plus 2 spare (our 20% buffer, never fewer than 2).
Plan for 10 guests, 3 hours, relaxed pace, indoors.
1 soft flame and 1 torch.
Suggested size mix
| Size | Length x ring | Count | Est. time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robusto | 5" x 50 | 5 | 50 min |
| Corona gorda | 5 5/8" x 46 | 2 | 55 min |
| Toro | 6" x 52 | 5 | 60 min |
Times are estimates from our smoke time model at a relaxed puff.
Party checklist
The counts behind this planner
Every number the planner gives is our rule of thumb, not a standard. Here are the assumptions, so you can overrule them.
- Time with a cigar lit. A light smoker has one going for about 40% of the event, a relaxed one 60%, a heavy one 85%. Beginners get three quarters of that.
- Cigars per smoker. That smoking time divided by the average minutes of the size mix, rounded, never under one.
- Buffer. 20% extra, never fewer than 2. Someone always drops one, cracks a wrapper or decides to try a second.
- Gear. One cutter per 6 smokers, one lighter per 4, one ashtray per 3, plus a spare ashtray outdoors.
Cigar minutes come from the same formula as the smoke time estimator: about 10 minutes per inch on a 50 ring, adjusted for width.
| Size the planner uses | Length x ring | Relaxed estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Petit corona | 4 1/2" x 42 | 40 min |
| Robusto | 5" x 50 | 50 min |
| Corona gorda | 5 5/8" x 46 | 55 min |
| Toro | 6" x 52 | 60 min |
| Churchill | 7" x 48 | 70 min |
Short sizes suit new smokers and short nights
A first cigar should end before the guest wants it to, so the planner leans on petit coronas and robustos when the crowd is new.
Long sizes reward a long night. Past three hours, toros and Churchills take over, since a seasoned smoker would rather have one big cigar than two small ones. The beginner's guide covers what else helps a first-timer.
| Crowd and length | Mix the planner suggests |
|---|---|
| Beginners, 2 hours or less | petit corona 60%, robusto 40% |
| Beginners, longer | petit corona 30%, robusto 50%, corona gorda 20% |
| Experienced, 90 minutes or less | petit corona 30%, robusto 70% |
| Experienced, up to 3 hours | robusto 40%, corona gorda 20%, toro 40% |
| Experienced, past 3 hours | robusto 25%, toro 40%, churchill 35% |
Wind decides the lighters
Outdoors, bring torches only, because a soft flame dies in the lightest breeze.
Wind also scatters ash and dries cigars faster. Pick deep, heavy ashtrays that won't tip, and set up with a wall or hedge at the smokers' backs. Indoors, a mix of soft flame and torch works; a soft flame is easier on the wrapper. Bring spare fuel either way. The lighter guide compares the flames, and the cutter guide explains why a plain straight cutter is the easy one to pass around.
Give non-smokers somewhere to go
Set aside a seating area well away from the smoke, upwind if you're outside.
The National Cancer Institute states there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke, and calls cigar smoke a major source of indoor air pollution. So the planner always adds a non-smoking area to the checklist when anyone isn't smoking. For smokers, give every chair a surface within reach: a cigar needs somewhere to rest between puffs.
House rules and the law
Cigars are for adults only, and the rules on where people can smoke differ by state, city and venue, so check the ones that apply to yours.
Good manners carry the rest. Offer, don't push. Let guests cut and light their own. The etiquette guide covers the details.
Cigar party planning questions
How many cigars per person for a party?
Plan about one cigar per smoker for every 90 minutes at a relaxed pace, by our model, then add 20% spare. A three hour night with five smokers comes to 10 cigars plus 2 spare.
What size cigars should you get for a party with beginners?
Short ones. A petit corona or a robusto runs about 40 to 50 minutes by our smoke time model, which is long enough to enjoy and short enough to finish.
Torch or soft flame lighter for an outdoor cigar party?
Torch. A soft flame blows out in a light breeze, while a torch jet holds up in wind. Indoors, either works, and a soft flame is gentler on the wrapper.
How many ashtrays do you need for a cigar party?
One per three smokers is our rule of thumb, plus one spare outdoors. Cigar ash is heavy and a cigar needs a wide rest, so small cigarette trays fill fast.
What the party math rests on
- Cigar Smoking and Cancer (no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke), National Cancer Institute
- Cigar: sizes, shapes and ring gauge, Wikipedia
More tools for the evening
Every common vitola in one sortable chart, with two cigars drawn in proportion to compare.
Smoke Time EstimatorLength, ring and pace in. A realistic window out, so you pick a cigar that fits the evening.
Cost per Cigar CalculatorBox against five-pack against singles, with tax and shipping, per cigar and per hour.